C-WL*i 


THE    LANDS 


Central  Paeifle  Railroad  Co. 


OF    CALIFORNIA, 


General  Information 


RESOURCES  of  the  COUNTRY 


iikor<;n   which 


THE    RAILROAD  TAKES   ITS   WAY. 


June    1,     L88O 


II.   s.  < 


AN   I  RANCISCO: 


1880. 


[ob  Printers. 


THE    LANDS 


Central  Paeifie  Railroad  Co. 


OF    CALIFORNIA, 


General  Information 


RESOURCES  of  the  COUNTRY 


THKOI'wH    WHICH 


THE   RAILROAD  TAKES   ITS  WAY. 


June    1,    1880, 


FRANCISCO: 
kik  &  Co.,  Steam  Book  and  Job  Printers. 
1880. 


,£3.03 

1880 


INDEX 


Page. 


Introduction 


LANDS  OF  CENTRAL  PACIFIC   RAILROAD- 
MAIN  LINE. 

Mode  by  which  Public  Lands  are  Surveyed  and 
Designated 

Plat  showing  manner  of  subdividing  and  num- 
bering Sections  in  each  Township 

The  Lands  Granted  to  the  Company 

Process  by  which  Title,  is  Acquired 

Even  numbered  Sections  Retained  by  the  Gov- 
ernment  

Advantages  to  the  Purchasers  of  Railroad 
Lands 

No  Sale  before  Patent 

Grading  Lands 

Prices 

When  Time  is  Allowed 

Termp  of  Time  Sales 1 

Exemplification  ot  Plans  and  Manner  of  Com- 
puting Payments 

Kind  of  Deed 14 

Lands  for  Rent 14 

Land-Seekers'  Tickets  and  Land-Selection 
Vouchers 14 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  COUNTRY  THROUGH 
WHICH  THE  CENTRAL  PACIFIC  RAIL- 
ROAD PASSES. 

Alluvial  or  "  Bottom  "  Land 15 

Wheat,  Grazing,  and  Orchard  Lands 16 

Grazing  Land  and  Sheep  Ranges 17 


12 


Page. 

Vineyard  Lands 17 

Raisins 19 

Valley  Lands  among  the  Hills 19 

•  Timber  Lands 20 

Dairy  Lands  of  the  Mountains 20 

Mines  and  Quarries 21 

Estimated  Population  the  Lands  will  support.  21 

Markets 22 

Stations  on  the  Line  of  the  Road 22 

Schools— Education 26 

Climate 26 

Counties  in  which  the  Company  owns  lands — 

Agricultural  Productions,  Etc 27 

General  Remarks ' 28 

LANDS  OF  THE  CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON 

DIVISION  OF  THE  CENTRAL  PACIFIC 

RAILROAD. 

Wool 31 

Markets 32 

Stations  on  the  Constructed  Line  of  the  Road .  32 

Statistics  of  Productions 33 

Policy  of  the  Company — Applications  for  Land 

and  Privileges  Gained  thereby 33 

Settlement  before  Patent 34 

Concluding  Remarks 35 

LANDS  IN  NEVADA  AND  UTAH. 

Grazing  and  "  Bottom  "  Lands  in  Nevada 36 

Railroad  Lands  in  Utah 36 

Advice  to  Emigrants 37 

Further  Information 39 

Address  of  Land  Agent 40 


15 '+29 


THE  LANDS 


<f  entral  |}arifty  %0tm&  €m\\m\^ 


CALIFORNIA,  NEVADA,  AND  UTAH. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  purpose  of  this  pamphlet  is  to  present  a  description  of 
the  Railroad  Lands  in  California,  (Nevada  and  Utah,)  offered 
for  sale  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Co.,  giving  their  loca- 
tion, soil,  productiveness,  climate,  healthfulness,  scenery,  and 
general  attractiveness;  their  present  and  prospective  values, 
price,  and  the  terms  under  which  they  are  offered  for  sale;  also 
some  statistics  of  the  production,  during  1879.  of  the  different 
counties  through  which  the  railroad  takes  its  way;  the  latter 
of  which  has  been  officially  prepared  by  the  Surveyor-General 
of  the  State  of  California,  and  is  entitled  "7 he  Biennial  Report 
of  the  Surveyor- General  of  the  State  of  California,  from  August 
1,  1877,  to  August  1,  1879" 


THE  RAILROAD  COMPANY  CAME  IN  POSSESSION  OF  THEIR  LANDS 
-  OF  GRANTS— RAILROAD  TITLE— NO  SALE  BEFORE  PATENT— 
PRICES   OF   LANDS— GRADING   LANDS-WHEN    TIME   IS  ALLOWED— 
OP  TIMi:  BALB8     KIND  OF  DEED.  Etc. 

The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  of  California,  was  one 
of  the  companies  authorized  by  Act  of  Congress  to  construct  a 
railroad  from  the  Missouri  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean — a  part 
of  the  continental  railroad  that  extends  from  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  the  Pacific.     It  was  empowered  by  Congress  to  con- 


[  4  ] 

struct  its  road  eastward  from  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Sac- 
ramento River  until  it  should  meet  and  connect  with  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad.     This  connection  was  made  near  Salt  Lake. 

The  California  and  Oregon  Railroad  Company  was  author- 
ized, by  Act  of  Congress,  to  construct  a  railroad  northerly  from 
a  point  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  in  the  Sacramento 
valley,  until  it  should  meet  and  connect  with  the  Oregon  and 
California  Railroad,  which  runs  south  from  Portland,  Oregon. 

The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  of  California,  and 
the  California  and  Oregon  Railroad  Company,  together  with 
the  Western  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  were  merged  and  con- 
solidated into  one  corporation,  and  a  new  name,  "  Central  Pa- 
cific Railroad,"  given  to  the  consolidated  company. 

The  completion  of  these  railroads  was  considered  of  such 
great  national  importance,  that  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  in  their  construction,  gave  to 
each  of  the  companies  an  extensive  grant  of  land. 

As  the  grants  are,  in  some  respects,  dissimilar  in  character, 
they  will  be  described  separately.  First,  the  lands  given  to 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  of  California  (main  line);  and 
second,  those  granted  to  the  California  and  Oregon  Railroad, 
or  California  and  Oregon  Division  of  C.  P.  R.  R. 


[     5     ] 

LANDS  OF  CENTRAL  PACIFIC  RAILROAD-MAIN  LINE. 


Under  the  Pacific  Railroad  Acts  of  Congress,  passed  July 
1st,  1862,  and  July  2d,  1864,  there  is  granted  to  this  Company 
every  alternate  section  of  public  land,  designated  by  odd  num- 
bers, within  twenty  miles  on  each  side  of  its  railroad,  except- 
ing, however,  mineral  lands  and  tracts  to  which  pre-emption 
and  homestead  claims  had  legally  attached.  This  grant,  is 
equivalent  to  about  twenty  sections  to  each  mile  of  the  road, 
and  as  the  sections  contain  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  each, 
it  amounts  to  twelve  thousand  eight  hundred  acres  per  mile, 
less  the  exceptions  above  noted.  On  the  reserved  mineral 
lands  within  ten  miles  on  each  side  of  the  line  of  railroad,  the 
timber  is  granted  to  the  Company.  These  Acts  are  in  terms 
a  present  grant,  and  are,  therefore,  a  full  and  perfect  convey- 
ance from  the  original  source  of  land  titles,  the  National 
Government. 

MODE  BY  WHICH  PUBLIC  LANDS  ARE    SURVEYED  AND  DESIGNATED. 

To  persons  not  familiar  with  the  public  land  system  of  the 
United  States,  it  may  be  necessary  to  make  a  brief  explanation 
of  the  manner  in  which  they  are  surveyed,  as,  with  an  under- 
standing of  this,  a  definite  idea  will  be  had  of  the  extent  and 
situation  of  the  Company's  grant  of  lands. 

The  United  States  causes  its  lands  to  be  surveyed  by  its 
officers  into  townships  of  six  miles  square;  these  townships 
are  subdivided  into  thirty-six  sections  of  one  square  mile  each, 
or  six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Each  section  is  again  sub- 
divided into  four  quarters  of  one  hnndred  a,nd  sixty  acres  each, 
and  again  into  sixteen  quarter-quarter  sections  of  forty  acres 
(;ach.  which  Is  the  smallest  quantity  sold,  except  fractions  on 
the  borders  of  rivers,  lakes,  etc.  In  making  these  surveys  in 
Central  California,  Mount  Diablo,  a  prominent  peak  near  the 
junction  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  Rivers,was  selected 
as  the  initial  or  starting  point,  from  which  four  lines  were  run, 
two  north  and  south,  called  the  meridian  line,  and  two  east  and 
.  called  the  base  line;  and  from  these  lines  the  several 
townships  are  surveyed;  those  north  and  south  being. numbered 
Iroin  the  base  lines  1,  2,  3,  etc.,  north  or  south  of  the  base  line*, 


[     6     ] 

as  the  case  may  be,  and  those  lying  east  and  west  described  in 
t  he  same  way,  as  east  or  west  of  the  meridian  line.  Thus, 
the  city  of  Sacramento  is  described  as  being  in  township  eight 
north,  of  range  five  east,  of  Mount  Diablo  base  and  meridian; 
that  is,  it  is  in  the  eighth  tier  of  townships  north  of  the  base 
line,  and  the  fifth  east  of  the  meridian  line. 

The  following  is  a  plat  showing  the  manner  of  subdividing 
and  numbering  the  sections  in  each  township : 


T.  8  N.,  R.  5  E. 


-28- 


:;;;- 


W- 


THE  LANDS  GRANTED  TO  THE  COMPANY. 

From  the  Acts  of  Congress  quoted,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
Government  has  granted  to  the  Company  all  the  alternate 
sections  designated  by  odd  numbers,  as  1,  8,  5,  7,  etc.,  for 
twenty  miles  on  each  side  of  the  line  of  the  road,  that  had  not, 
at  the  date  of  the  grant,  been  otherwise  disposed  of  by  the 
Government;  thus,  as  before  stated,  for  each  mile  of  road  con- 
structed, it  receives  12,800  acres  of  land. 


PROCESS    BY    WHICH    TITLE    IS    ACQUIRED. 

As  the  railroad  is  completed  and  accepted  by  the  Govern- 
ment, the  Company  makes  a  list  of  the  lands  to  which  it  is 
entitled,  lying  within  twenty  miles  on  either  side  of  such  com- 


[     7     ] 

pleted  section.  This  list,  if  found  correct,  is  duly  certified  by 
the  proper  United  States  Land  Officers,  and  forwarded  to  the 
Land  Department  at  Washington,  where  it  is  again  examined. 
Upon  this  the  patent  is  issued,  and  thus  the  title  of  the  Com- 
pany is  perfected. 

EVEN  NUMBERED  SECTIONS  RETAINED  BY  THE  GOVERNMENT. 

The  minimum  price  of  ordinary  public  land  is  $1.25  per 
acre,  or  $200  for  a  quarter  section  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres;  but  from  the  fact  that  the  construction  of  railroads  in- 
creases the  value  of  the  land  in-  their  vicinity,  a  general  Act  of 
Congress  provides  that  when  the  alternate  sections  are  donated 
to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  railroad,  the  remaining  ungranted 
sections  are  increased  in  price  to  the  "  double  minimum,"  or 
$2.50  per  acre,  so  that  the  even  numbered  sections  within  the 
limits  of  the  grant  of  this  Company  can  only  be  purchased  at 
that  price. 

ADVANTAGES  TO  THE  PURCHASERS  Of  RAILROAD  LANDS. 

The  purchasers  of  railroad  lands  have  many  advantages 
those  purchasing  from  the  Government,  some  of  which 
can  be  best  explained  by  stating  the  mode  in  which  the 
Government  disposes  of  its  public  land — the  even  numbered 
sections — within  the  railroad  reservation.  A  person,  to  ac- 
quire title  from  the  Government  by  pre-emption,  must  first  go 
upon  the  land,  commence  its  cultivation  and  erect  a  dwelling- 
house  ;  he  then  files  in  the  United  States  Land  Office  his 
•  declaratory  statement ;"  that  is,  a  document  setting  forth  that 
he  has  selected  a  certain  piece  of  land,  describing  it,  together 
with  the  date  of  his  settlement,  the  fact  that  he  is  a  citizen  or 
legally  declared  his  intention  to  become  a  citizen,  his  age, 
etc.  After  three  months  he  must  appear  at  the  United  States 
Land  Office,  with  two  witnesses,  where  a  trial  is  had,  and 
proof  made  on  oath  before  the  Land  Officers  that  he  has  com- 
plied with  nil  the  provisions  of  the  pre-emption   law.     If  the 

law  has  I a  complied  with  he  then  pays  $2.50  per  acre,  and 

;i  receipt  isgiven  to  him:  in  ;i  year  or  two  a  patent  is  received, 
and  he  returns  the  receipt  and  obtains  the  patent  for  his  land. 
No  man  can  obtain  from  the  Government,  by  pre-emption, 
more  than  160  acres  of  land,  and  having  received  this,  his 
privilege  is  exhausted. 


[  8  ] 

There  is  one  other  way  by  which  a  person  can  obtain 
lands  from  the  Government — on  even  numbered  sections 
within  the  railroad  reservation — and  that  is,  by  filing  a  home- 
stead claim  on  eighty  acres.  As  in  the  case  of  pre-emption, 
he  must  erect  a  dwelling,  live  on  and  cultivate  the  land  ;  he 
must  then  file  in  the  United  States  Land  Office  his  declaration 
of  homestead,  setting  forth  substantially  the  same  facts  as  in 
the  case  of  pre-emption.  On  the  day  he  files  he  receives  a 
homestead  certificate.  If  he  continues  to  live  on  the  land  and 
cultivate  it  for  five  years  from  the  day  of  filing,  he  can,  after 
that  time,  make  proof  of  the  facts  as  in  the  case  of  pre-emption, 
and  if  the  law  has  been  complied  with,  he  returns  his  certifi- 
cate and  in  time  will  receive  a  patent,  without  other  expense, 
except  the  fees  of  the  officers  and  the  fees  of  an  attorney,  if 
necessary  that  one  should  be  employed.  A  pre-emption  can- 
not be  for  more  than  160  acres,  nor  a  homestead  for  more  than 
SO  acres  on  Government  land  within  the  railroad  reservation. 
Neither  the  pre-emption  nor  homestead  can  be  abandoned, 
sold,  mortgaged,  or  leased,  until  after  the  patent  is  issued. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  purchaser  from  the  railroad  is  not 
limited'  as  to  quantity,  and  when  the  money  is  paid  and  the 
deed  issued,  he  can  do  as  he  pleases  with  the  land — it  is  his 
in  fee  simple.  There  are  no  complicated  laws  or  rules — he 
selects  his  land,  pays  for  it  and  takes  a  deed,  or  buys  on  credit 
and  takes  a  contract  for  a  deed,  which  is  assignable.  In  either 
case  he  does  with  the  land  as  he  deems  proper — he  may  sell, 
lease,  reside  on  the  land,  or  reside  elsewhere,  or  he  may  let  it 
remain  to  increase  in  value  by  the  settlement  of  the  country 
about  it.  Many  purchasers  of  railroad  lands  do  not  build  upon 
the  land  purchased,  but  erect  their  dwellings  upon  the  adjoin- 
ing even  sections,  thus  taking  advantage  of  the  privilege 
granted  by  Government,  and  obtaining  in  one  body  a  larger 
tract  than  could  otherwise  be  acquired. 


NO  SALE  BEFORE  PATENT. 

The  general  rule  of  the  Company  is  to  sell  no  land  before 
a  patent  has  been  issued  to  the  Company.  This  protects 
the  purchaser  against  the  danger  of  getting  a  bad  title,  and 
the  Company  against  the  suspicion  of  taking  advantage  of 
the  ignorant. 


[  9  ] 


GRADING    LANDS. 

When  lands  are  ready  to  be  sold,  the  Company  sends  a 
man  well  acquainted  with  the  quality  of  the  soil  and  skilled  in 
determining  the  kind  of  agricultural  product  to  which  it  is 
best  adapted,  as  also  in  determining  its  true  market  value,  to 
look  at  the  various  sections  and  tracts.  After  personal  ex- 
amination, he  grades  the  land  as  being  first,  second  or  third 
quality  of  farming,  vineyard,  timber  or  grazing  land,  and  re- 
ports the  value  of  each  piece.  His  report  is  examined,  and,  if 
found  correct,  a  price  is  established.  The  price  is  generally 
that  of  unimproved  land  of  the  same  quality  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity  at  the  time  of  the  grading.  In  ascertaining  the 
value,  any  improvements  that  a  settler  or  other  person  may 
have  on  the  land  will  not  be  taken  into  consideration,  neither 
will  the  price  of  the  land  be  increased  in  consequence  of  them. 
Further,  there  is  but  one  price— that  fixed  by  the  Company, 
and  land  will  be  sold  at  that  rate  to  those  who  in  equity  have 
the  best  right  to  buy,  even  if  others  should  offer  more  per 
acre  than  the  amount  asked.  Settlers  are  thus  assured  that, 
in  addition  to  being  accorded  the  first  privilege  of  purchase 
at  the  graded  price,  they  will  also  be  protected  in  their  im- 
provements. 

PRICES. 

The  lands  are  not  uniform  in  price,  but  are  offered  at  various 
figures,  from  $2.50  upwards  per  acre  ;  usually  land  covered 
with  tall  timber  is  held  at  $5  per  acre,  and  that  with  pine  at 
$10.  Most  is  for  sale  at  $2.50  to  $5.  It  is  impossible  to  give 
the  prices  by  sections  or  minor  subdivisions  in  this  pamphlet. 
Special  inquiry  must  be  made  as  to  each  piece.  The  purchaser 
must  pay  for  the  acknowledgment  of  the  three  signatures  to 
the  deed — the  law  now  allows  one  dollar  for  each  signature — 
and  he  must  pay  for  recording,  usually  about  $2.50  for  each 
deed. 

WHEN  TIME  IS  ALLOWED. 

Land  is  sold  on  contract,  allowing  time  for  the  payment  of 
the  purchase  money — if  the  tract  be  80  acres  or  more,  and  if 
it  have  no  timber.  If  it  be  less  than  80  acres,  or  if  it  be 
covered  with  timber,  no  sale  will  be  made  except  upon  full 

went   of  cash  before  the  execution  of  any   paper.       The 


[    io   ] 

rule  of  the  Company  is  to  make  no  contracts  for  sale  of  land 
before  the  patent  for  it  has  been  received. 

TERMS    OF  TIME  SALES. 

Lands  can  be  bought  as  follows  : 

1.  Payment  in  full  at  time  of  purchase,  with  $3.00  notary's 
fee  for  acknowledgment  of  signatures  to  deed.  (See  Example 
1,  on  page  10.) 

2.  Payment  of  twenty  per  cent,  of  total  amount,  and  first 
year's  interest  on  remainder  at  time  of  purchase, — interest 
annually  on  said  remainder  in  advance  ;  the  remainder  payable 
at  expiration  of  five  years.  Should  purchaser  desire  to  make 
full  payment  before  expiration  of  ^.ve  years,  he  may  do  so. 
(See  example  2,  page  10.) 

3.  In  five  annual  payments.  Twenty  per  cent,  of  total 
amount  and  first  year's  interest  on  remainder  at  time  of  pur- 
chase ;  the  remainder  payable  in  four  equal  annual  payments 
at  the  commencement  of  each  year  from  date  of  contract,  with 
interest  yearly  in  advance.  If  preferred,  payment  in  full  can 
be  made  at  any  time.     (See  Example  3,  page  11.) 

4.  In  nine  payments.  Twenty  per  cent,  of  total  amount 
and  first  year's  interest  on  remainder  at  time  of  purchase;  the 
remainder  payable  in  eight  equal  semi-annual  payments,  the 
first  of  these  payments  one  year  after  date  of  contract,  and 
the  others  every  six  months  thereafter,  with  interest  on  the 
remainder  semi-annually  in  advance.  If  preferred,  payment 
in  full  can  be  made  at  any  time.     (See  example  4,  page  12.) 

The  rate  of  interest  in  all  cases  will  be  seven  'per  cent,  per 
annum. 

Persons  should,  at  time  of  purchase,  choose  definitely  on 
which  of  the  foregoing  plans  they  prefer  to  buy  :  for  after 
papers  shall  have  been  made  out,  in  order  to  avoid  confusion 
in  keeping  accounts,  no  change  will  be  made  from  one  plan  of 
sale  to  another. 

Part  payments  of  interest,  except  as  above  stated,  will  not 
he  received.  Installments  of  round  amounts  on  the  principal, 
however,  will  be  received  at  any  time. 

No  longer  credit  than  five  years  is  allowed  in  any  case. 


[  11  ] 


In  many  instances  in  ivhich  purchases  have  been  made  on 
credit,  the  buyers  hare  realized  enough  from  the  crops  of  a  single 
year  to. pay  for  the  land  ! 

On  land  sold  under  contract  the  purchaser  must  cut  no 
wood  save  for  domestic  purposes  of  the  actual  occupants,  or 
for  fencing  the  tract  bought,  until  he  has  made  his  last  pay- 
inent. 

All  contracts  may  be  assigned  by  the  purchaser.  Forms 
for  that  purpose,  to  be  signed  by  assignor  and  assignee,  are 
printed  on  the  back  of  each  contract.  The  assignment  must 
be  acknowledged  before  a  Notary  Public,  or  a  Clerk  of  a 
Court  of  Record. 

When  a  contract  is  made,  the  purchaser  must,  from  that 
date,  see  that  the  land  is  assessed  to  him,  and  must  pay  all 
the  taxes  and  assessments  of  every  kind  levied  on  the  land  for 
public  puposes. 


[     12     ] 


Exemplification  of  Foregoing  Plans,  and  Manner  of  Computing  Payments. 

EXAMPLE  I. 

160  acres  say  at  $5.00  per  acre $800.00 

Notary's  fee  for  acknowledgements  to  deed 8.00 

Payment  in  full $803.00 


EXAMPLE  II. 

Purchase  January  1,  1881,  lfa'O  acres,  say  at  $5.00  per  acre $800.00 

Jan.  1,  1881-20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $160.00 

First  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

First  payment $204.80 

Jan.  1,  1882— Second  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

Jan.  1,  1883— Third  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

Jan.  1,  1884 — Fourth  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

Jan.  1,  1885— Fifth  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

Jan.       1886 — Remainder  of  purchase  money $640.00 

Notary's  fee  for  deed 3.00 

$643.00 


EXAMPLE  III. 

Purchase  January  1,  1881,  160  acres,  say  at  $5.00  per  acre $800.00 

Jan.  1,  1881—20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $160.00 

First  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

First  payment $204.80 

Jan.  1,  1882—20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $160.00 

Second  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $480.00 33.60 

Second  payment $193.60 

Jan.  1,  1883—20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $160.00 

Third  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $320.00 22.40 

Third  payment $182.40 

Jan.  1,  1884—20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $160.00 

Fourth  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $160.00 1 1.20 

Fourth  payment $171.20 

Jan.  1,  1885 — 20  per  cent,  of  $800.00  being  remainder  of  purchase  money  $160.00 
Notary's  fee  for  deed 3.00 

Fifth  payment $163.00 


[     13    ] 

EXAMPLE  IV. 
Purchase  January  1,  1881,  160  acres,  say  at  5.00  per  acre $  800  00 

f  Jan.  1—20  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  160.00 

J  First  year's  interest  on  remainder,  $640.00 44.80 

1881  ■{  

First  payment $  204.80 

(  Jan.  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

First  six-months'  interest  on  remainder,  560.00 19.60 


1882  < 


Second  payment $  99.60 

July  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

Second  six-month's  interest  on  remainder,  $480.00 16.80 


Third  payment $  96.80 

'  Jan.  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

First  six-month's  interest  on  remainder,  $400.00 14.00 


1883-{ 


Fourth  payment $  94.00 

July  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

Second  six-month's  interest  on  remainder,  $320.00 11.20 


Fifth  payment $  91.20 

'  Jan.  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

First  six-months'  interest  on  remainder,  $240.00 8.40 


ISS4 


Sixth  payment %  88.40 

July  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

Second  six-mouths'  interest  on  remainder,  $160.00 5.60 


Seventh  payment $  85. 60 

r  Jan.  1—10  per  cent,  of  $800.00 $  80.00 

First  sir-months'  interest  on  remainder,  $80.00 2.80 

Eighth  payment $  82.  SO 

July  1 — 10  per  cent,  of  $800.00,  being  remainder  of  purchase 

money $  80.00 

Notary's  fee  for  deed 3.00 

Ninth  payment $  83.00 

["The  above  exemplification  of  plans  and  manner  of  com- 
puting   payments   is   presented    for  the  benefit  of   those   who 

er  to  make  regular  payments  at  stated  periods.  Install- 
ments of  round  amounts  on  the  principal,  however,  icill  be 
retell"!  at  any  time.  But  part  payments  of  interest,  except  as 
above  stated,  cannot  he  received. J 


[     14     ] 


KIND    OF    DEED. 


The  Company  gives  what  is  known  as  a  bargain  and  sale 
deed,  the  form  customary  in  California.  It  warrants  to  the 
purchaser  that  he  gets  the  entire  title  acquired  by  the  Com- 
pany from  the  Federal  Government,  and  is  signed  by  the  Pres- 
ident and  Secretary  of  the  Company  and  two  Trustees. 

LANDS    FOR    RENT. 

The  Company  will  lease  its  vacant  grazing  or  agricultural 
lands  by  the  year,  or  for  a  term  of  years,  but  reserves  the  right 
of  selling  its  grazing  lands  so  leased  at  any  time,  or  its  agri- 
cultural lands  at  the  end  of  any  crop  year,  repaying  to  the 
lessee  a  share  of  the  rent  money  proportioned  exactly  to  the 
area  sold,  the  time  of  the  sale  and  the  duration  of  the  lease. 
The  lessee  must  not  cut  any  timber  except  for  firewood  for 
domestic  purposes.  The  conditions  are  distinctly  stated  in  the 
lease.     The  rent  must  always  be  paid  in  coin,  and  in  advance. 

LAND-SEEKERS    TICKETS    AND    LAND-SELECTION    VOUCHERS. 

Emigrant  tickets  are  on  sale  at  all  the  principal  eastern 
ports  to  San  Francisco,  which  are  good  for  continuous  passage 
to  that  city,  Sacramento,  San  Jose,  Lathrop,  or  intermediate 
points.  The  fare  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  (3,350 
miles),  for  some  years  past,  has  been  $65,  and  from  Chicago, 
St.  Louis,  and  other  interior  points,  proportionately  less. 

From  each  of  the  above-named  California  cities,  and  from 
Los  Angeles  the  intending  purchaser  can  buy  a  Land- Seeker  s 
Ticket  to  points  along  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad, 
in  connection  with  which  will  be  a  non-transferable  voucher, 
which  will  entitle  the  land-buj'er  to  an  equivalent  allowance 
of  the  amount  paid  for  said  ticket  in  his  first  payment  for 
lands — thus  virtually  furnishing  to  the  settler  transportation 
free  from  the  overland  line  to  the  vicinity  of  his  land. 


[  to  ] 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  COUNTRY  THROUGH  WHICH  THE 
CENTRAL  PACIFIC  RAILROAD  PASSES. 


The  City  of  Sacramento  is  situated  near  the  centre  of  the 
great  valley  of  the  Sacramento.  It  is  in  latitude  38°  31' 
north,  and  longitude  121°  29'  west.  It  is  the  capital  of  the 
State  of  California,  and  has  a  population  of  twenty-five  thou- 
sand. From  this  city  the  general  course  of  the  railroad  is 
north-east,  over  the  river  bottom  and  level  prairie  lands,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-five  miles  ;  at  this  point  it  meets  the  rolling 
timber  lands  and  low  hills  that  lie  at  the  base  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains;  reaching  one  of  the  main  spurs  of  the 
Sierra  it  ascends  to  the  Summit,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  five  miles  from  Sacramento,  and  at  an  elevation  of  7,042 
feet  above  the  sea.  At  the  crest  of  the  mountains  it  passes 
through  a  tunnel  and  along  the  mountain  side  to  the  bank  of 
the  Truckee  River.  This  river  is  the  outlet  of  Lake  Tahoe, 
whose  surface  is  6,247  feet  above  the  sea;  its  waters  flow 
north-east  and  empty  into  Pyramid  Lake,  one  of  the  lakes  of 
the  Great  American  Basin,  whose  waters  have  no  outlet  to  the 
ocean.  The  road  follows  the  banks  of  the  Truckee  River  to 
the  Big  Bend  of  the  Truckee,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety  miles  from  Sacramento.  From  this  point  its  course  is 
north-east  until  it  meets  the  Humboldt  River,  which  flows 
westward  and  also  empties  into  the  Great  Basin.  It  follows 
up  the  banks  of  the  Humboldt  River  to  its  source,  and  so  on 
in  the  same  general  direction  around  the  northern  end  of  the 
Great  Salt  Lake. 

ALLUVIAL    OR    "  BOTTOM "    LANDS. 

From  this  statement  of  the  route  of  the  road  it  will  be  seen 
thai  the  Company  lias  every  variety  of  land,  situated  in  the 
different  climates  between  semi-tropical  and  temperate.  It  has 
some  bottom  lands — that  is,  lands  that  are  overflowed  by  the 
Swelling  of  the  rivers  ;ind  streams  in  winter,  and  which  are 
annually  enriched  by  the  deposits  brought  down  by  the  water 
bom  the  mountains.  Like  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  they  pro- 
duce yearly   unvarying  large    crops,    the    deposit  (lining  each 


0. •■!»    ] 

rainy  season  causing  them  to  be  inexhaustible  in  their  fertility. 
They  yield  every  variety  of  garden  and  field  vegetable  culti- 
vated in  a  semi-tropical  climate,  including  potatoes,  onions, 
cabbage,  pumpkins,  beets,  tomatoes,  peas,  and  the  various  small 
fruits.  Large  tracts  are  annually  planted  with  maize  or  Indian 
corn,  of  which  large  crops  are  produced.  Many  farmers  have 
cultivated  tobacco,  which  has  always  been  found  profitable. 
On  these  lands  are  also  grown  large  quantities  of  hops,  from 
the  cultivation  of  which  many  persons  have  become  wealthy. 
The  hops  produced  are  not  excelled  by  any  known  in  the 
markets  of  the  world.  From  the  fact  that  it  never  rains  in 
this  climate  during  the  season  they  are  maturing,  they  lose  no 
portion  of  the  extractive  principle  for  which  they  are  used,  and 
are  said  by  brewers  and  others  who  make  use  of  them  to  be 
from  ten  to  fifteen  per  cent,  more  valuable  than  those  grown  in 
climates  where  there  are  summer  rains.  Many  kinds  of  fruit 
are  grown  on  these  lands,  such  as  the  pear,  apple,  plum,  cherry, 
and  peach.  The  largest  peach  orchards  of  the  State  are  situ- 
ated on  "bottom"  lands. 


Within  the  railroad  grant,  above  the  bottom  lands,  and  less 
than  twenty  miles  on  each  side  of  the  road,  and  for  the  length 
of  twenty  miles,  are  the  prairie  lands.  The  land  is  level, 
without  trees,  or  with  scattering  and  small  groves  of  oak;  it  has 
no  underbrush,  and  with  the  first  days  of  November  is,  with- 
out any  preparation,  ready  for  the  plow.  If  preserved  from  the 
herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  it  produces  annually,  without  culti- 
vation, large  crops  of  native  grasses  and  wild  oats,  which  make 
excellent  hay.  The  exports  of  wheat  from  California  within 
the  past  few  years  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world, 
and  reached  over  $10,000,000  worth  in  1878  and  in  1879. 

The  greater  part  of  these  large  quantities  was  produced  in 
the  great  valleys  and  on  the  prairie  lands.  The  principal 
sales  by  the  railroad  company  have  thus  far  been  of  this  class 
of  its  lands,  over  500,000  acres  having  been  sold.  There  still 
remain  unsold,  of  the  same  kind  of  land,  quantities  sufficient 
to  support  a  population  of  fifty  thousand.  These  prairie  lands, 
in  addition  to  producing  wheat  and  other  cereals,  are  perhaps 
the  best  in  the  State  for  general  farming  and  orchards.  All 
kinds  of  fruit  that  will  grow  in  a  semi-tropical  or  temperate 


[     17    ] 

climate  thrive  on  these  lands,  including  the  almond,  olive, 
pomegranate,  plum,  pear,  and  apple,  as  well  as  many  of  the 
nut-bearing  trees.  They  are  also  well  adapted  for  grazing  and 
dairy  purposes.  The  native  grasses  start  after  the  first  winter 
rains  of  December,  and  grow  to  June,  when  they  dry  to  hay  in 
the  rainless  summer  and  remain  standing  upon  the  ground 
until  the  rains  of  the  following  year.  Farmers,  therefore,  are 
not  required  to  cut  and  save  hay  for  their  dairy  cattle,  except 
for  the  short  period  between  the  early  rains  and  the  springing 
up  of  the  new  grass. 

GRAZING  LANDS  AND  SHEEP  RANGES. 

Still  going  east  along  the  line  of  the  railroad,  after  leaving 
the  prairie  lands,  the  road  passes  over  about  twenty-five  miles 
of  rolling  lands  and  low  hills.     These  contain  groves  of  oak 
trees,  and  many  tracts  are  heavily  timbered.     In  the  more  ele- 
vated regions  of  this  section  the  oaks  are  intermixed  with  pines. 
The  land  in  this  section  not  only  produces   wheat  and  barley, 
but  will,   if  not  cultivated  or  too  closely   grazed,   produce  the 
native  wild  oats,  which  were  found  growing  upon  them  at  the 
time  the   Americans  took  possession  of  the  country.      Among 
these  hills  are  grazed  large  herds  of  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep. 
At  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles  from  Sacramento,  on  the  line 
of  the  railroad,  and  within  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  on  each 
side,    as   many    as    seventy-five    thousand    sheep    are    grazed 
throughout  the  year.     No  hay  is  cut  or  saved  for  these  sheep, 
.or.  if  any  is  given  them,  it  is  for  the  short  period  after  the  first 
rains  in  December,  before  the  springing  up  of  the  new  grass. 
The  wild  oats  and  native  grasses  are  nutritious  and  abundant; 
the  groves  of  oaks  afford  shade  from  the  heat  of  the  midsum- 
mer sun.  and  the  numerous  streams  flowing  through  these  hills 
give  a  plentiful  supply  of  water. 

YINEVAKI)    LANDS. 

The  8UCC(  Bfl  that  in  California  has  followed  the  cultivation 

pf  the   European  grape,  has  led  to  the  planting  of  numerous 

vineyards.     After  an  experience  of  twenty-five  years,  the  fact 

been  demonstrated  that  in  no  place  do  the  various  kinds 

European  grapes,  both  for  wine  and  the  table,  thrive  so  well 
and  produce  such  excellent  qualities  of  wine  and  table  fruit,  as 
on  the    hills   that   lie   at    the    base  of  the   Sierra.      The  soil   is 


[     18    ] 

composed  of  the  worn-down  particles  of  granite,  quartz  and 
slate,  intermixed  with  lime  from  the  numerous  strata  of  lime- 
stone that  traverse  the  mountains.  Since  the  European  grape 
was  cultivated  in  this  State — and  there  are  vineyards  planted 
by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  that  are  ninety  years  old — no 
instance  has  been  known  of  a  failure  of  the  grape  crop.  There 
are  no  frosts  to  injure  it  at  the  time  it  is  in  blossom,  and  no 
rain  to  injure  the  fruit  during  the  period  of  ripening.  Some 
of  the  largest  vineyards  in  the  State  are  on  lands  that  have 
been  purchased  from  the  Railroad  Company;  many  of  them 
producing  from  two  to  ten  thousand  gallons  of  wine  annually, 
and  in  one  instance  producing  yearly  over  forty  thousand  gal- 
lons. More  than  two  hundred  varieties  of  the  grape  have  been 
imported  from  France,  Spain,  Germany  and  Hungary,  and 
propagated  in  California.  Every  variety  that  is  grown  in  Eu- 
rope succeeds  well  in  this  soil  and  climate,  and  bears  more 
abundantly  than  in  its  native  home. 

The  usual  manner  of  planting  vineyards  in  California  is  to 
plow  the  land  thoroughly  immediately  after  the  early  rains  of 
December;  holes  are  then  dug  with  a  spade,  eight  feet  from 
each  other,  in  rows;  in  these  holes  are  planted  cuttings,  or 
one-year-old  rooted  vines.  Cuttings  can  be  obtained  for  a 
trifle,  and  often  without  cost,  of  the  kind  of  grapes  most  culti- 
vated, at  any  of  the  vineyards,  during  the  season  of  pruning — 
January  and  February.  One-year-old  rooted  vines  can  be 
purchased  for  four  or  five  dollars  per  hundred.  The  vines  are 
planted  eight  feet  from  each  other  for  the  purpose  of  working 
among  them  with  a  one-horse  cultivator;  and  as  laborers  are. 
scarce  in  California,  this  and  all  other  branches  of  agriculture 
are  most  economically  conducted,  by  substituting  the  labor  of 
animals  for  that  of  man.  If  the  vineyard  has  been  planted 
with  cuttings,  an  average  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  per  cent,  fail 
to  take  root,  and  these  have  to  be  replanted  the  following 
year.  If  rooted  vines  are  planted,  not  to  exceed  two  or  three 
per  cent,  will  fail  to  grow.  Each  year  the  vines  have  to  be 
pruned  and  the  vineyard  plowed;  the  vineyard  should  also  be 
cultivated  in  May  or  June  to  kill  the  weeds.  The  third  year 
the  vines  will  commence  bearing,  and  increase  in  quantity 
each  year  for  a  great  many  years.  It  has  been  estimated  that 
the  average  annual  production  of  all  the  vineyards  in  the 
State,  of  five  years  old  and  upward,  is  one  thousand  gallons 
of  wine  to  the  acre.     The  process  of  making  wine  is  as  simple 


[     19     ] 

as  that  of  making  cider.  The  grapes  when  ripe  are  pressed, 
and  their  juice  poured  into  clean  casks,  where  it  is  left  to  fer- 
ment. In  1873,  as  shown  by  the  report  of  the  Surveyor- 
General,  there  were  made  in  California,  4,202,001  gallons  of 
wine,  and  277,365  gallons  of  brandy.  This  business  had  so 
largely  increased  that  the  product  of  vineyards  for  the  year 
1876  reached  11,000,000  gallons  of  wine,  valued  at  $3,000,000; 
and  in  1879  the  product  was  21,000,000  gallons  of  wine,  valued 
at  over  $6,000,000. 

The  continued  grape'  crop  failures  throughout  Europe,  and 
the  devastation  of  the  French  vineyards  by  the  phylloxera, 
have  given  great  impetus  to  viniculture  in  California,  and  es- 
pecially in  the  foothills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
through  which  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  takes  its  way. 
There  is  no  earthly  doubt  but  what  viniculture  will  pay  better 
than  anything  else  in  the  line  of  agricultural  or  pastoral  pur- 
suits. It  is  the  surest  and  cheapest,  for  after  the  vines  are 
started  they  require  no  water  and  but  little  cultivation.  Mr. 
L.  J.  Rose,  one  of  the  most  extensive  wine  producers  in  the 
State,  bought  up  some  90  vineyards  last  fall  (1879),  paying  $80 
on  an  average  per  acre. 

RAISINS. 

A  -considerable  industry  has  lately  been  developed  in  Cali- 
fornia; that  is  the  cultivation  of  the  raisin  grape  and  the 
manufacture  of  raisins.  The  process  of  converting  the  grapes 
into  raisins  is  so  simple  that  it  can  be  done  by  children.  When 
the  grapes  are  ripe,  the  bunches  are  cut  and  spread  upon 
boards,  in  the  sun,  and  turned  each  day  until  cured;  after 
which  they  are  boxed  and  forwarded  to  market.  Some  vine- 
yard ists,  in  addition  to  making  large  quantities  of  wine  and 
brandy,  have  each  year  also  made  thirty  thousand  pounds  of 
raisins.  Of  the  unsold  lands  of  the  Railroad  Company,  there 
are,  at  least,  75,000  acres  suitable  for  vineyards. 


VALLEY    LANDS    AMONG   THE    HILLS. 

Ascending  the  Sierra,  and  above  the  vineyard  lands,  the 
oaks  give  place  to  dense  forests  of  pines,  firs  and  cedars.  In 
the  valleys  of  these  bills  are  numerous  farms  and  dairies,  as 
well   aa  sheep  ranges.     In  these  valleys,  all  the  fruits  of  the 


[     20     ] 

temperate  climates  are  cultivated  with  remarkable  success. 
The  principal  field  crops  of  this  region  are  barley,  potatoes, 
turnips  and  hay. 

TIMBER    LANDS. 

The  pine  forests  of  these  hills,  in  quantity  and  in  the  qual- 
ity of  lumber  made,  are  hardly  excelled  on  the  North  Ameri- 
can continent.  They  give  employment  to  many  saw-mills 
and  a  large  number  of  men.  The  construction  of  the  railroad 
through  this  region  has  cheapened  the  price  of  lumber,  and  in 
a  great  measure  stopped  its  importation  from  other  States.  A 
large  feature  in  the  business  of  the  railroad  is  the  transporta- 
tion to  the  valleys  of  lumber  for  building  and  fences.  The 
average  price  in  the  valleys  of  lumber  for  fences,  since  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  through  the  pine  forests,  is  from 
eighteen  to  twenty  dollars  per  thousand  feet.  The  cities, 
towns,  villages,  and  the  mines  in  Nevada  and  Utah,  along  the 
line  x>f  the  railroad,  furnish  an  extensive  and  profitable  market 
for  lumber.  In  a  few  years,  when  branch  railroads  shall  have 
more  completely  reached  the  vast  mineral  region  of  the  treeless 
interior  of  the  continent,  these  inexhaustible  forests  will  sup- 
port a  large  population  of  men  engaged  in  felling  trees  and 
manufacturing  lumber.  Of  timber  lands  and  valleys  among 
the  hills  of  the  timber  region,  there  remain  unsold  lands,  to 
which  the  Company  is  entitled,  amounting  to  at  least  five 
hundred  thousand  acres. 

The  production  of  lumber  in  California,  for  the  year  1876, 
is  estimated  at  440,000,000  feet,  valued,  at  the  mill,  at 
$2,000,000. 

DAIRY  LANDS  OF  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Among  the  higher  ranges  of  the  mountains  are  extensive 
and  numerous  -valleys  that  produce  nutritious  and  luxuriant 
grasses,  which  are  extensively  grazed  by  large  and  numerous 
herds  of  cattle  and  sheep  during  the  summer  and  autumn 
months.  The  amount  of  butter  and  cheese  that  is  sent  to 
market  from  these  valleys  is  yearly  increasing.  The  quantity 
of  butter  made  in  this  State,  in  1873,  was  5,408,744  pounds, 
and  of  cheese,  5,4 8b, 266  pounds,  and  in  1878,  nearly  double 
that  of  1873 ;  and  even  then  not  nearly  sufficient  to  supply  the 
demand,  for  as  yet  large  quantities  are  imported. 


[     21     ] 


MINES    AND    QUARRIES. 

The  railroad  passes  through  the  entire  length  of  Placer 
County,  one  of  the  principal  gold-mining  counties  of  California. 
Lauds  containing  gold  and  silver  are  not  included  in  the  grant 
to  the  Company.  All  the  lands  in  the  mineral  regions  are  not 
what  are  denominated  mineral  lands.  The  mineral  lands  are 
a  very  small  portion  of  the  area,  even  in  the  strictly  mineral 
regions.  Lands  containing  coal  and  iron  are  not  deemed  min- 
eral lands.  Near  the  line  of  the  road  are  extensive  beds  of 
iron  ore,  said  to  be  valuable,  but  none  of  which  have  yet  been 
worked.  The  granite  quarries  near  the  road  are  numerous, 
and  those  that  have  been  opened  give  employment  to  a  large 
number  of  men.  Nearly  all  the  granite  now  being  used  in  the 
State,  including  that  used  by  the  Government  for  fortifications, 
by  the  State  for  its  public  buildings,  and  for  the  bulkhead  in 
the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  as  well  as  for  street  and  building- 
purposes,  is  from  quarries  on  lands  purchased  from  the  Company. 

Lands  belonging  to  the  Company,  containing  limestone,  with 
an  abundance  of  oak  and  pine  wood  on  the  same,  are  to  be 
found  at  various  points  near  the  line  of  the  road,  within  a  dis- 
tance of  forty  miles  from  Sacramento.  Many  of  these  quarries 
have  been  opened,  and  large  quantities  of  lime  are  transported 
by  the  railroad,  and  distributed  over  the  State.  White  and 
variegated  marble,  for  building  and  ornamental  purposes,  have 
been  discovered  at  several  points,  and  work  has  been  com- 
menced in  opening  the  quarries  and  forwarding  the  product  to 
market. 

ESTIMATED    POPULATION    THE    LANDS    WILL    SUPPORT. 

From  what  has  been  stated,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Rail- 
road Company  has  every  variety  of  land  for  sale,  including 
alluvial,  bottom,  prairie,  grazing,  wheat  and  vineyard  lands,  as 
well  as  lands  covered  with  forests  of  oak  and  pine,  and  con- 
taining iron  ore,  granite,  limestone  and  marble.  It  has  been 
estimated  that  the  lands  of  the  Company  remaining  unsold 
will  support  a  population  of  one  and  a  half  million,  while  the 
estimated  present  population  within  the  limits  of  the  railroad 
at  ion  does  not  exceed  40,000. 


[     22     ] 


MARKETS. 


There  jet  remain  large  quantities  of  land  to  be  sold,  within 
distances  from  Hve  to  ten  miles  from  railroad  stations.  There 
are  also  many  towns  and  villages  at  various  points  within  the 
reservation,  and  at  various  distances  from  the  line  of  the  road, 
so  that  a  purchaser  has  no  difficulty  in  finding  land  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  schools,  stores,  blacksmith  and  wagon 
shops.  The  farmer  cultivating  these  lands  has  a  choice  among 
three  markets,  in  which  to  dispose  of  his  productions.  Ke  can 
send  them  to  the  cities  and  towns  in  his  immediate  neighbor- 
hood; to  the  gold-mining  regions  of  California,  or  to  the  silver- 
bearing  regions  of  Nevada.  Wheat,  barley,  and  various  other 
<?rops  can  always  be  sold  on  the  land  where  produced  to  the 
agents  of  millmen  and  shippers,  who  traverse  the  country  for 
the  purpose  of  making  purchases. 

STATIONS  ON  THE  LINE  OF   THE  ROAD. 

The  following  table  shows  the  various  stations  on  the  line 
of  the  road,  at  which  the  cars  stop  and  discharge  and  receive 
passengers  and  freight,  as  also  the  distance  of  these  stations 
from  San  Francisco,  and  their  elevation  above  the  sea : 


Names  of  Stations. 


San  Francisco  .. 
Oakland  Wharf 

Oakland 

Brooklyn  

Melrose 

San  Leandro 

Decoto  

San  Jose 

Niles 

Pleasanton 

Liver  more 

Altamont  

Midway 

Ellis 

Bantas 


Total  Dis- 
tance from 
San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Elevation — 
in  Feet. 

0 

0 

3 

0 

6 

11 

*  8 

12 

11 

18 

15 

49 

26 

72 

47 

91 

29 

87 

41 

351 

47 

185 

55 

740 

63 

357 

69 

76 

74 

30 

[     23     ] 


f                         Names  ok  Stations. 

Total  Dis- 
tance from 
San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Elevation  — 
in  Feet. 

Lathrop 

81 

91 

103 

112 

123 

133 

138 

141 

145 

.153 

156 

160 

162 

169 

174 

180 

187 

192 

196 

202 

205 

206 

211 

213 

216 

221 

230 

233 

237 

243 

246 

257 

265 

276 

281 

292 

300 

26 

Stockton  

23 

Lodi 

55 

Gait  

50 

Elk  Grove  

53 

Brighton 

51 

Sacramento 

30 

American  River  Bridge  

hi 

Arcade 

55 

Antelope 

154 

Junction , 

163 

Rocklin 

249 

Pino 

403 

Newcastle  

970 

Auburn 

1  363 

Clipper  Gap : 

1  759 

New  England   Mills 

2  289 

Colfax 

2,421 

Cape  Horn 

2,692 
3,206 
3,403 
3,612 
4  154 

Gold  Run 

Dutch  Flat 

Alta 

Shady  Run *  . 

China  Ranch 

4,411 

Blue  Canon 

4  678 

Emigrant  Gap 

5  230 

■■> 

5,939 
6,191 

Tamarack  

ide 

6  520 

Summit 

7,017 

6  781 



o                                                     

kee 

5,846 

5  533 



State   Line 

5,138 
4  927 

Verdi 

4  507 

i 

4  404 

[     24     ] 


Names  of  Stations. 


Total  Dis- 
tance from 
San  Fran- 
cisco. * 


Clark's 

Wadsworth 

Two-mile  Station 

Desert 

Hot  Springs 

Mirage 

White  Plains 

Brown's 

Granite  Point  .... 
Lovelock's  ........ 

Oreana , 

Eye  Patch 

Humboldt 

Mill  City  ,7, 

Raspberry  

Rose  Creek  

Winnemucca 

Tule 

Golconda 

Iron  Point 

Stone  House 

Battle  Mountain 

Argenta 

Shoshone 

Be-o-wa-we  

Cluro    

Palisade 

Carlin 

Moleen 

Elko 

Peko  

Halleck  

Deeth 

Tulasco , 

Wells 

Moore's 

Independence 


312 
327 

329 
335 
346 
354 
361 
372 
379 
389 
400 
411 
422 
433 
441 
451 
462 
468 
479 
490 
502 
522 
534 
545 
555 
563 
573 
583 
594 
606 
626 
630 
642 
654 
661 
669 
676 


9>5 


Names  ok  Stations. 

Total  Dis- 
tance from 
San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Elevation  — 
in  Feet. 

Otesro 

688 

689 
698 

715 

724 
734 
747 

757 
768 
778 
790 
804 
812 
828 
838 
857 
862 
871 
881 

6,154 
6,184 

Pequop  

Toano 

5,970 

Montello 

4,999 

Tecoma 

4,812 
4,495 
4,347 
4,619 
4,630 
4,500 

Lucin 

Bovine 

Terrace  

Matlin  

Ombev 

4.222 

Monument  

4,223 

Lake  .... 

Promontory 

4,223 
4,905 

Blue  Creek  

4,600 
4,230 

Croinne 

Brigham  

4,220 

Bonneville 

4,300 

Ogden 

4,301 

[     26     ] 


SCHOOLS EDUCATION. 

Every  sixteenth  and  thirty-sixth  section  of  land,  or  one- 
eighteenth  of  all  the  land  in  California,  was  given  by  Congress 
to  the  State  to  be  sold,  and  the  proceeds  applied  to  the  support 
of  public  schools.  Tn  addition  to  this,  Congress  gave  to  Cali- 
fornia five  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land  for  purposes  of  inter- 
nal improvement.  The  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  these  lands 
are  also  devoted  by  the  State  Constitution  to  public  education. 
The  interest  on  the  money  derived  from  the  sale  of  these  lands 
and  also  an  annual  tax  levied  on  all  property,  are  annually 
distributed  to  all  the  school  districts  in  the  State.  Whenever, 
in  a  neighborhood,  a  sufficient  number  of  children  can  be  gath- 
ered to  form  a  school,  it  becomes  entitled  to  support  at  the 
public  expense.  The  public  free  schools  of  California  are  the 
pride  of  its  peoplfe,  and  are  not  excelled  by  those  of  any  of  the 
new  States.  No  child  need  lack  ah  education  because  of  the 
poverty  of  its  parents;  the  State  provides  free  education,  and 
establishes  schools  in  every  neighborhood.  Every  increase  of 
the  population  but  adds  to  the  demand  for  the  State's  land, 
and  thus  increases  the  fund  to  be  applied  to  the  support  of  pub- 
lic schools.     The  foregoing  also  applies  to  the  State  of  Nevada. 


CLIMATE. 

The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  Spain,  Italy  and  the  south 
of  Europe.  The  greater  part  of  California  is  within  the  limits 
of  the  influence  of  the  trade  winds.  There  is  no  rain  in  sum- 
mer from  May  until  November.  The  period  from  November 
till  May  is  called  the  rainy  season;  for  in  the  great  valleys  and 
the  lower  hills,  at  the  base  of  the  Sierra,  this  season  cannot  be 
called  winter.  In  the  valleys  the  average  annual  fall  of  rain  is 
twenty-five  inches ;  this  gradually  increases,  as  the  slopes  of 
the  mountains  are  ascended,  to  sixty  inches.  During  the 
twenty-two  years  the  Sacramento  valley  has  been  inhabited  by 
Americans,  snow  has  covered  the  ground  but  three  times,  and 
this  had  disappeared  by  noon  of  the  day  on  which  it  fell.  The 
rainless  summers  give  every  facility  to  the  farmer  in  gathering 
his  crops;  the  hay  is  cut  and  left  to  cure  on  the  ground  as  it 
fell  from  the  mowing  machine;  the  wheat  or  barley  is  cut  and 
permitted  to  remain  for  days  or  weeks  before  it  is   gathered 


[     27     ] 

and  threshed,  with  the  certainty  that  there  will  be  no  rain  to 
injure  it.  Plowing  and  sowing  of  grain  commence  with  the 
first  rains,  in  November  or  December,  and  by  the  first  week 
in  June  the  crop  is  ripe.  Grapes  ripen,  the  earlier  kinds  in 
July,  the  latest  by  the  last  week  in  October.  In  the  valleys 
the  heat  of  the  midsummer  sun  is  sometimes  oppressive  at 
noon,  but  the  mornings,  evenings  and  nights  are  always  cool 
and  bracing.  There  are  no  prevalent  diseases.  In  some  of  the 
low  lands,  overflowed  by  the  rivers,  and  in  places  where  the 
reservoirs  for  the  supply  of  water  to  the  miners  are  constantly 
emptied  and  refilled,  exposing  the  bottom  to  the  sun,  there 
are,  in  the  autumn,  some  forms  of  so-called  miasmatic  disease. 
The  prairie  land,  the  rolling  lands  and  hills,  as  well  as  the 
mountains,  and  valleys  among  the  mountains,  are  free  from 
any  peculiar  disease,  and  their  climate  is  considered  conducive 
to  health,  especially  to  persons  of  weak  lungs. 


COUNTIES    IX    WHICH    THE    COMPANY    OWNS    LANDS AGRICULTU- 
RAL   PRODUCTIONS,    ETC. 

The  Railroad  Company  has  lands  for  sale  lying  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Sacramento,  Placer,  El  Dorado,  Sutter  and  Nevada,  of 
California,  and  in  many  counties  in  the  State  of  Nevada.  Of 
these  five  counties  in  California,  where  large  quantities  of  land 
have  already  been  sold  by  the  Company,  the  clearest  exhibit 
of  their  soil  and  climate,  and  of  their  varied  agricultural  pro- 
ductions, will  be  made  by  the  following  statistics,  taken  from 
the  sworn  returns  of  the  assessors  of  these  counties  to  the 
Surveyor-General  of  the  State  for  the  years  1872,  1873,  and 
1879.  The  particular  attention  of  the  reader  is  incited  to  the 
increast  from  flu  years  1872-3  to  1879.  He  will  please  make 
aparison,  and  he  will  not  only  discover  a  great  increase  of 
productions,   but  will  become  informed   regarding  the  advan- 

3  to  be  derived  from   railroad  facilities  and  rapid  commer- 
cial intercom 


[     28     ] 


Acres  inclosed 

"     cultivated 

Wheat 

Barley  

Oats 

Indian  Corn 

Buckwheat 

Potatoes  

Sweet  Potatoes 

Onions 

Beans 

Peanuts 

Castor  Oil  Beans 

Hops 

Butter , 

Cheese 

Honey  , 

Wool 

Sugar  Beets 

Hay 

Horses 

Mules 

Oows , 

Calves 

Beef  Cattle 

Oxen 

Sheep 

Angora  and  Cashmere  Goats 

Hogs 

Apple  trees 

Peach     "     , 

Pear       "     

Fig  "     

Lemon    "     

Orange  "     , 

Olive      "     

Walnut "     

Grape  vines 

Wine 

Brandy 

Grist  Mills 

Buns  of  Stone 

Flour 

Indian  Corn  made  into  Meal 


1872. 

1873. 

1879. 

664,714 

709,884 

933,977 

235,289 

239,955 

409,750 

887,730 

1,225,472 

2,308,526 

Bushels. 

597,447 

622,007 

1,160,S41 

" 

23,966 

57,969 

31,943 

7,883 

90,268 

212,004 

(< 

993 

3,230 

21,090 

i  i 

14,914 

7,089 

41,432 

Tons. 

1.691J 

3,798 

3,195 

" 

5,970 

7,399 

28,493 

Bushels. 

12,732 

18,060 

71,240 

<« 

4,026 

4,421 

13,461 

Pounds. 

100,000 

35,000 

" 

178,143 

182,810 

301,300 

" 

282,061 

338,671 

564,216 

a 

65,420 

75,029 

99  400 

a 

18,690 

9,920 

7,200 

" 

569,412 

591,878 

'  616,570 

" 

317 

12,655 

19,900 

Tons. 

28,983 

61,949 

72,911 

" 

23,182 

21,445 

41,000 

1,447 

1,303 

1,300 

20,097 

20,176 

33,344 

18,541 

16,707 

14,000 

15,468 

14,012 

24,140 

1,227 

1,124 

1,000 

220,280 

235,856 

218,100 

68  • 

2,483 

14,120 

21,715 

35,822 

21,683 

282,656 

311,795 

340,911 

192,474 

189,396 

251,311 

61,064 

81,288 

89,112 

10,192 

10,588 

11,141 

721 

951 

1,140 

1,180 

1,191 

3,100 

164 

278 

413 

52,702 

51,861 

89,411 

5,139,422 

5,527,739 

6,696,080 

633,547 

470,807 

461,009 

Gallons. 

39,027 

42,200 

16,315 

" 

7 

•  7 

11 

26 

27 

39 

268,830 

230,700 

319,549 

Barrels. 

17,700 

37,570 

49,113 

Bushels. 

GENERAL    REMARKS. 

The  policy  of  the  Company  is,  and  has  always  been,  to  sell 
its  lands  at  low  prices  and  upon  easy  terms  of  payment.  Its 
directors  believe  its  best  interests  are  promoted  by  selling  its 
lands  near  the  line  of  the  road  to  men  who  will  personally  cul- 
tivate the  soil,  and  who  will  own  the  land  they  cultivate.  Any 
man  coming  to  California,  who  can  and  will  labor,  may  be  cer- 
tain of  employment,  and  if  he  so  desires,  he  can,  with  the  pro- 


[     20     ] 

ceeds  of  seven  months'  labor,  become  the  owner  of  eighty  acres 
of  the  finest  wheat,  orchard  or  vineyard  land  in  the  world,  in 
a  climate  that  for  salubrity  has  no  equal;  in  a  State  where  all 
children  are  educated  in  free  schools  at  the  public  expense, 
and  where  slavery  never  had  existence;  among  a  people  who 
honor  labor,  and  whose  laws  give  ample  protection  to  life  and 
property. 

The  information  contained  in  the  following  pages  regarding 
the  lands  of  the  California  and  Oregon  Division  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  and  the  remarks  concerning  "  Markets," 
••  Wool,"  "  Policy  of  the  Company,"  "  Applications,"  etc.,  may 
be  considered  as  applying  also  to  the  lands  of  the  main  line. 
The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  has  adopted  a  uniform 
<vstem  for  the  sale  of  all  the  lands  under  its  control. 

The  Company  does  not  give  free  transportation  to  persons 
who  wish  to  examine  or  buy,  or  who  have  bought  land,  except 
by  means  of  "  Land  Seekers  tickets,"  hereinbefore  described. 
Nor  after  purchase  does  it  carry  their  building  material,  furni- 
ture, or  cattle  free.  In  this,  as  in  other  respects,  the  land  and 
transportation  departments  of  the  Company  manage  their  bus- 
iness on  the  cash  basis,  and  on  separate  accounts. 

No  officer  of  the  railroad  selects  land  for  another  person,  nor 
could  such  selection  be  made  without  exposing  the  Company 
to  vexatious  complaints.  Everybody  who  intends  to  buy 
should,  if  possible,  visit  and  examine  the  land,  for  nobody 
knows  so  well  what  he  wants,  or  at  least  nobody  can  safely 
assume  the  responsibility  of  deciding  for  him. 

All  communications  in  relation  to  the  lands  of  the  Central 
lie  Railroad  Company  (which  include  all  the  lands  referred 
to  in  tli is  pamphlet  situated  along  the  Main  Line  from  San 
o  to  Ogden,  and  also  along  the  California  and  Oregon 
Division  from  Junction  —  on  Main  Line — to  Redding),  if 
addressed  to  15.  B.  Redding,  Land  Agent  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company,  corner  of  Fourth  and  Townsend  streets,  San 
Francisco,  California,  will  h  proi npUy  answered. 


[    so    ] 


LANDS  OF  THE  CALIFORNIA  AND  OREGON  DIVISION  OF 
THE  CENTRAL  PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 

Under  the  Act  of  Congress,  approved  July  25th,  1866,  the 
California  and  Oregon  Railroad  Company  has  a  grant  of  lands 
from  the  United  States,  consisting  of  all  vacant  odd-numbered 
sections  within  twenty  miles  on  each  side  of  its  road,  and 
where  the  odd-numbered  sections  have  been  taken  by  pre- 
emption or  otherwise,  the  Company  has  the  right  to  select  other 
vacant  odd-numbered  sections  as  indemnity,  within  thirty  miles 
on  each  side  of  its  line.  This  road  commences  at  Roseville,  in 
Placer  County,  California,  on  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  extends  north,  by  way  of  Marysville,  in  Yuba 
County,  through  Chico,  in  Butte  County,  to  Red  Bluff,  in 
Tehama  County,  and  so  on  north,  through  Shasta  and  Siskiyou 
Counties,  to  the  State  of  Oregon.  This  road  is  now  completed 
to  Redding,  in  Shasta  County. 

The  route  of  this  road  is  nearly  parallel  to  the  general 
course  of  the  Sacramento  River,  and  its  grant  embraces  some 
of  the  finest  bottom  lands  in  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

The  grant  lies  in  the  counties  of  Placer,  Sutter,  Yolo, 
Yuba,  Butte,  Colusa,  Tehama,  Shasta,  Plumas  and  Siskiyou. 

The  lands  are  diversified  in  character,  consisting  of  plains, 
alluvial  bottoms,  rolling  prairie,  low  hills  and  mountains. 

The  plains  and  rolling  prairie  contain  large  quantities  of 
rich  agricultural  lands,  adapted  to  the  growing  of  wheat  and 
other  cereals,  which,  when  properly  cultivated,  yield  most 
abundantly;  also  to  the  culture  of  grapes,  apples,  peaches, 
apricots,  plums,  nectarines,  and  other  fruits,  which  are  pro- 
duced in  endless  variety,  of  most  excellent  quality,  and  in 
large  quantities.  The  portions  not  suitable  for  farming  pur- 
poses are  covered  with  wild  oats,  bunch  grass,  and  a  variety 
of  other  grasses,  affording  rich  and  abundant  pasturage. 

The  alluvial  bottoms  in  the  Sacramento  Valley,  as  also  in 
the  smaller  valleys  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Sacramento  River, 
are  very  rich.  Here  is  a  broad  scope  of  the  best  grain-growing 
lands  in  this  State.  Almost  every  species  of  agricultural  pro- 
ductions can  be  raised  on  these  lands.     Here  can  be  made, 


[     31     ] 

and  are  being  made,  large  and  prolific  gardens,  orchards  and 
vineyards.  The  pastures  on  the  low  lands  for  cows  are  rich, 
green  and  succulent,  giving  opportunity  for  profitable  employ- 
ment in  making  cheese  and  butter.  Swine  thrive  and  fatten 
on  the  tule  roots  growing  on  the  low  lands,  which,  furnishing 
a  cheap  and  nutritious  food,  enables  the  farmers  to  raise  these 
animals  with  but  little  expense. 

The  low  hills  furnish,  also,  pasturage  of  excellent  qualit}' 
for  sheep  and  cattle,  while  for  the  culture  of  grapes  and  fruits 
of  almost  every  kind,  the  soil  is  unsurpassed.  Nearly  all  the 
grapes  from  which  light  and  salable  wines  are  made  in  Cali- 
fornia are  grown  in  the  foot-hills. 

The  mountainous  districts  contain  a  heavy  growth  of  coni- 
ferous forests,  comprising  sugar  and  yellow  pine,  red  spruce, 
cedar,  fir,  etc.;  also  a  heavy  growth  of  oak  timber.  There  are 
many  fertile  and  well-sheltered  valleys  and  mountain  meadows, 
admirably  suited  for  agricultural  and  grazing  purposes.  Most 
of  these  valleys  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  natural 
grasses,  the  adjacent  mountains  in  very  many  places  also  af- 
fording much  pasturage.  The  greater  part  of  these  lands  is 
generally  well  watered. 


WOOL. 

Among  these  lands  are  some  of  the  best  sheep  ranges  in 
tlic  world.  In  1871,  the  product  of  wool  in  California  was 
24,000,000  pounds.  In  1872,  it  was  about  25,000,000  pounds, 
and  in  1873,  it  was  over  32,000,000  pounds.  In  1876,  it  was 
estimated  at  56,000,000  pounds,  and  valued  at  $9,000,000. 
Many  persons  in  this  State,  who  commenced  this  business  in 
absolute  poverty,  have  in  a  few  years  grown  wealthy.  The 
clitnate  is  peculiarly  favorable  to  sheep.  They  need  neither 
shelter  nor  cultivated  food;  at  least,  most  of  them  never 
receive  either.  Sheep  husbandry  in  California  will  always 
pay  better  than  in  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  for  here  the 
lit  of  the  animals  is  ten  per  cent,  greater  than  in  the  East- 
ern States,  while  the  fleece  is  twenty  per  cent,  larger,  and  the 
increase  one  hundred  per  cent,  more;  besides,  the  sheep  gen- 
erally live  longer.     There  is  no  disease   among  them  except 

.  and  that  is  never  fatal.  If  the  exemption  from  disease, 
the  more  rapid  increase,  the  greater  weight  of  fleece  and  mut- 
ton, the  saving  in  buildings,  sheds,  and  in  cultivated  food,  and 


[     32     ] 

the  difference  in  the  cost  of  the  pasture  land,  be  taken  into 
consideration,  there  is  a  large  total  in  favor  of  the  wool-grower 
in  California. 


MARKETS. 

There  is  always  a  ready  market  for  all  farm  and  agricul- 
tural products  at  Marysville,  Sacramento,  San  Francisco,  and 
in  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  mining  districts. 

STATIONS    ON    THE    CONSTRUCTED    LINE    OF    THE    ROAD. 


Names  of  Stations. 

Total  Distance 

from 
San  Francisco. 

Elevation  — 
in  feet. 

Junction  (on  main 
Lincoln  

line,  C.  P.  R.  R.) 

156 
166 
170 
174 
177 
183 
188 
190 
197 
207 
211 
221 
227 
229 
233 
240 
243 
248 
252 
260 
261 
273 
283 
288 
290 
296 
303 
307 

163 
161 

Ewens 

113 

Sheridan 

113 

Wheatland 

84 

Reeds  

69 

Yuba 

68 

Marysville 

67 

j            

Lomo 

71 

Gridleys  

97 

Bikers 

98 

Oo      - 

Nelson 

124 

Durham 

161 

Roble 

176 

Chico 

193 

Nord 

153 

Anita 

162 

Soto 

186 

Vina 

212 

Sesma 

240 

Tehama 

222 

Red  Bluff 

307 

Hooker 

545 

432 

Cottonwood 

421 

432 

Clear  Creek  Town 

467 

Redding 

558 

10 


[     33     ] 


STATISTICS    OF    PRODUCTIONS. 

Butte  County,  in  1878,  produced  2,235,000  bushels  of 
wheat,  640,000  bushels  of  barley,  and  26,720  bushels  of  corn. 
It  also  made  10,500  gallons  of  wine.  Only  a  few  years  ago 
this  county  was  given  up  entirely  to  mining. 

In  1878,  Placer  County  produced  568,820  bushels  of  wheat 
and  256,140  bushels  of  barley.  Sutter  County  produced 
2,685,350  bushels  of  wheat,  685,500  bushels  of  barley,  and 
20,453  bushels  of  corn;  Yolo,  1,356,075  bushels  of  wheat  and 
52,000  bushels  of  barley;  Yuba,  303,007  bushels  of  wheat  and 
180,630  bushels  of  barley;  Colusa  produced  2,590,931  bushels 
of  wheat  in  1878,  and  nearly  3,000,000  bushels  in  1879.  Te- 
hama produced  831,150  bushels  of  wheat  in  1879,  and  Shasta 
County  80,750  bushels.  Up  to  within  a  year  or  two,  or  until 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  to  Redding,  the  two  latter-named 
counties  made  very  little  pretension  above  cattle  and  sheep 
raising.  Beside  these  wheat  lands,  however,  are  the  lands  in 
the  foot-hills,  aadpted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  grape,  which,  in 
time,  will  be  the  great  staple  production  of  California,  and  earn 
more  money  an  acre  than  five  acres  of  wheat  (good  stand)  do 
at  present. 

POLICY    OF    THE    COMPANY APPLICATIONS    FOR    LAND    AND    PRIV- 
ILEGES GAINED  THEREBY. 

As  soon  as  a  section  of  twenty  miles  or  more  of  the  railroad 
is  completed,  equipped,  and  in  operation,  it  is  examined  by  the 
United  States  Railroad  Commissioners,  who  make  a  report  to 
the  Government.  If  found  to  be  constructed  in  all  respects  as 
required  by  law,  the  section  is  accepted,  and  the  lands  listed 
and  patented.  When  the  patent  is  received,  the  lands  are 
offered  for  sale.  This  road  is  now  constructed  to  Redding, 
which  is  situated  170  miles  north  of  Sacramento,  and  about 
six  miles  east  of  the  town  of  Shasta.  The  road  has  been 
accepted  to  this  point,  and  patents  for  the  land  are  being  re- 
ceived. Some  of  the  lands,  as  far  north  as  Redding,  are  now 
offered  for  sale.  Applications  to  purchase  are  received  and 
filed  in  the  Land  Office  of  the  Company,  and  blanks  will  be 
furnished  for  that  purpose ;  but  with  the  understanding,  how- 
ever, that  no  vested  right  shall  be  conferred  thereby.  It  is 
merely  a  notice  that  the  applicant  wishes  to  purchase.     The 


[     34     ] 

policy  of  the  Company  has  always  been,  and  is  now,  to  encour- 
age the  settlement  of  its  lands  in  small  tracts  by  persons  who 
will  live  on  and  cultivate  them.     To  this  end   settlers  are  in- 
vited to  make  applications  to  buy,  and  to  occupy,  and  put  to 
use  the  vacant  lands  until  such  time  as  they  shall  be  ready  for 
sale.     If  the  settler  desires  to  buy,  the  Company  gives  him  the 
first  privilege  of  purchase  at  the  fixed  price,  which,  in  every 
case,  shall  only  be  the  value  of  the  land,  without  regard  to  the 
improvements.     It  must  be  understood  that  the  application  of 
a  speculator,  or  of  a  person  who  does  not  improve  or  occupy 
the  land,  will  not,  although  received  first,  take  precedence  or 
priority  of  that  of  the  settler  whose  application  may,  perhaps, 
be  filed  last  of  all.     The  actual  settler,  in  good   faith,  will  be 
preferred  always,  and   the  land  will  be  sold  to  him  as  against 
every  other  applicant.     The  Company  also  wish  it  to  be  known 
that  a  mere  application  to  buy  land,  unaccompanied  by  actual 
improvement  or  settlement,  confers  no  right  or  privilege  which 
should  prevent  an  actual  settler  from  taking  it,  if  vacant,  into 
possession,  and  cultivating  and  improving  it.     In  filling  in  the 
blank  application,  persons  are  requested  not  to  put  the  lands 
in  two  or  more  townships  in  the  same  application.     Use  a  sep- 
arate blank  for  each  township. 

When  there  are  two  or  more  applicants  for  the  same  tract 
of  land,  an  adjudication  of  their  respective  claims  will  be  made 
by  the  Land  Agent,  upon  due  notice  given  to  the  parties,  and 
the  right  to  buy,  at  the  graded  price,  will  be  awarded  to  the 
applicant  who  shall  be  deemed  to  have  the  most  equitable 
claim.  Should  the  applicants,  or  either  of  them,  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  the  notice,  or  fail  to  be  present,  in  person  or  by  repre- 
sentative, at  the  time  and  place  mentioned  in  it,  they  shall  be 
considered  to  have  abandoned  their  applications,  and  all  right 
or  claim  to  purchase;  and  the  land  will  then,  at  the  option  of 
the  Railroad  Company,  be  open  for  purchase  by  any  person 
to  whom  the  Company  may  choose  to  sell. 

SETTLEMENT  BEFORE  PATENT. 

The  Company  invites  settlers  to  go  on  the  lands  before  pa- 
tents are  issued  or  the  road  is  completed;  and  intends,  in  such 
cases,  to  sell  them  in  preference  to  any  other  applicants,  and 
at  prices  based  upon  the  value  of  the  land  without  the  im- 
provements put  upon  it  by  the  settlers.      It  makes  no  definite 


[     35     ] 

contract  with  any  individual  upon  this  basis,  but  it  treats  all 
fairly.  It  will  not  sell  to  somebody  else,  merely  because  the 
latter  offers  a  higher  price.  It  will  not  sell  to  any  one  land 
that  may  be  required  by  it  for  railroad  purposes,  such  as  places 
for  depots,  stations,  etc.,  or  for  town  sites.  Any  person  desir- 
ing to  settle  upon  vacant  railroad  land,  after  survey  and  before 
it  is  patented,  should  address  a  letter  to  the  Land  Agent  of  the 
Company,  requesting  a  copy  of  a  blank  application  for  the  pur- 
chase of  land. 

If  the  settler  goes  upon  the  land  before  survey  he  should 
describe  it  as  nearly  as  possible,  and  so  soon  as  the  survey  is 
made  send  the  description  to  the  Land  Agent. 

An  application  for  land  confers  no  vested  right  or  privilege 
on  the  applicant.     It  is  merely  a  notice  that  he  wishes  to  buy. 

The  filing  of  an  application  does  not  carry  with  it  the  right 
or  permission  to  cut  wood  or  timber  from  the  lands  of  the 
Company,  except  for  firewood  for  the  domestic  uses  of  the 
actual  occupants  of  the  tract  applied  for,  or  for  fencing  and 
improving  it. 

Applicants,  or  other  persons,  who  shall  be  detected  in  cut- 
ing  wood  or  timber  on  railroad  lands,  except  for  the  purposes 
above  specified,  or  in  selling  or  carrying  it  away,  will  be  prose- 
cuted with  the  utmost  severity  of  the  law. 

CONCLUDING    REMARKS. 

All  that  has  been  written  regarding  the  lands  of  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad  (main  line)  and  the  manner  of  acquiring  title 
to  them,  as  also  respecting  Climate,  Vineyards,  Schools,  Edu- 
cation, etc.,  and  all  other  matters  (excepting  the  grant  to  the 
Railroad  and  its  lands  in  the  State  of  Nevada),  may  be  taken 
as  applying  generally  to  all  the  lands  of  this  Railroad. 

All  communications  addressed  to  B.  B.  Redding,  Land 
Agent  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  corner  Fourth  and 
Townsend  streets,  San  Francisco,  California,  will  receive 
prompt  attention. 


[     36     ] 


LANDS  IN  NEVADA  AND  UTAH. 
Attention  is  called  to  the 

GRAZING    AND    "BOTTOM  "    LANDS    IN    NEVADA. 

The  railroad  passes  through  the  whole  length  of  the  valley 
of  the  Humboldt,  in  the  State  of  Nevada.  On  the  banks  of 
the  Humboldt  River,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  streams  that 
flow  into  this  river,  are  extensive  tracts  of  bottom  land  that 
are  successfully  cultivated.  The  hills  in  this  section  of  the 
country  are  covered  with  "  bunch  "  and  other  grasses,  which 
support  large  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  and  for  several  years 
past  the  San  Francisco  market  has  been  largely  supplied  with 
beef  and  mutton  fattened  on  the  natural  grasses  of  these  hills. 
Settlement  has  only  just  commenced  on  these  lands,  and  the 
Company  has,  at  least,  one  million  of  acres  of  them  yet  unsold. 
The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  what  is  now  termed  the 
"  Humboldt  desert"  will  blossom  like  the  rose.  What  may  be 
done  in  that  seemingly  sterile  region  is  delightfully  exempli- 
fied at  the  station  called  "Humboldt,"  which  has  been  reclaimed 
from  an  arid  waste  through  the  medium  of  a  miniature  stream- 
let from  a  spring  near  by.  There  has  been  a  project  on  foot 
for  some  time  to  utilize  the  vast  volume  of  water  that  yearly 
runs  to  waste  through  the  section  of  country  through  which  it 
takes  its  way.  When  this  project  is  carried  out  to  successful 
realization  thousands  of  acres  of  as  rich  and  productive  soil  as 
there  is  in  California  will  receive  the  benefits  of  artificial  irri- 
gation, and  what  is  now  a  sage  brush  plain  will  become  a  gar- 
den spot. 

RAILROAD    LANDS    IN    UTAH. 

In  a  short  time  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company  will 
have  graded,  for  sale  or  for  rent,  large  bodies  of  land  in  the 
Territory  of  Utah,  most  of  which  are  very  fair  grazing  tracts, 
and  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  which  are  susceptible  of  a  high  order 
of  cultivation  upon  the  introduction  of  water  thereon.  Cen- 
tral Utah  is  dotted  with  settlements  where,  thirty  years  ago,there 


[     37    ] 

was  only  an  illimitable  waste  of  sage  brush.  What  may  be  ac- 
complished anywhere  throughout  our  so-called  Western  deserts 
and  plains  and  prairies,  through  energy,  industry  and  persever- 
ance, may  be  best  seen  at  Salt  Lake  City,  one  of  the  most 
thriving  agricultural  settlements,  and  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  attractive  interior  cities  in  America.  Before  the  arrival 
of  the  Mormons,  with  their  active  hands  and  willing  hearts, 
the  place  where  now  stands  a  city  of  30,000  inhabitants  was 
precisely  the  "howling  wilderness"  that  now  meets  the  eye  at 
neighboring  points. 


ADVICE    TO    EMIGRANTS. 

1.  Buy  your  tickets  for  passage  on  railroad  or  steamboats 
only  at  the  office,  before  starting.  Many  of  the  runners  who 
offer  tickets  for  sale  in  the  streets  are  swindlers.  If  you  intend 
to  go  in  a  steamer  or  ship,  examine  the  vessel  before  getting 
your  ticket,  and  engage  a  particular  berth  or  room  in  a  part 
of  the  vessel  that  is  clean,  weli  ventilated,  and  just  comfortably 
warm. 

2.  Never  show  your  money  nor  let  any  stranger  know 
that  you  have  any.  Thieves  prefer  to  rob  emigrants,  who 
generally  carry  money  with  them,  and  cannot  stop  to  prosecute 
them,  and  have  no  acquaintances  to  aid  in  the  prosecution. 
!)<>  not  mention  tlie  fact  that  you  are  an  emigrant  to  persons  who 
have  no  business  to  know  it. 

3.  Never  carry  any  large  sum  of  money  with  you.  You  can 
always  buy  drafts  at  banks,  and  if  you  are  going  to  a  strange 
place,  you  can  give  your  photograph  to  the  banker  to  forward 
to  your  destination,  so  that  you  can  be  identified  without 
trouble  when  you  want  to  draw  your  money. 

4.  Avoid  those  strangers  who  claim  to  be  old  acquaint- 
ances, and  whom  you  do  not  recollect.  A  certain  class  of 
thieves  claim  the  acquaintance  of  ignorant  countrymen,  whom 
they  want  to  rob. 

6.  Do  not  drink  at  the  solicitation  of  strangers.  The  first 
point  of  the  thief  is  to  intoxicate  or  drug  his  victim. 

6.  Do  not  play  cards  for  money  with  strangers.  In  many 
cases  they  confederate  to  rob  emigrants. 


[     38     ] 

7.  Travel  in  company  with  old  friends,  if  possible,  and  do 
not  leave  them.  Thieves  prefer  to  take  their  victims  one  at  a 
time. 

8.  If  you  see  anybody  pick  up  a  full  pocket-book,  and  he 
offers  it  to  you  for  a  small  sum;  or  if  »you  see  some  men  play- 
ing cards,  and  you  are  requested  to  bet  on  some  point  where 
it  seems  certain  that  you  must  win;  or  if  you  see  an  auctioneer 
selling  a  fine  gold  watch  for  n'we  dollars,  don't  let  them  catch 
you.  Emigrants  are  systematically  swindled  by  such  tricks, 
and  you  ivill  surely  be  ROBBED  if  you  join  in  any  of  the 
above  or  other  games. 

9.  If,  when  you  arrive  in  a  strange  town,  you  want  infor- 
mation and  advice,  you  can  always  get  it  by  applying  at  the 
right  place.  If  you  are  a  foreigner,  you  will  probably  find,  in 
the  large  cities,  a  consular  office  or  a  benevolent  society  of  your 
countrymen,  and  you  can  apply  there.  Usually  there  are 
attentive  and  polite  men  at  the  police  office.  Public  officers 
generally  in  the  United  States  are  ready  to  assist  and  advise 
strangers. 

10.  Never  fear  failure  at  farming  on  your  own  land,  if  you 
live  economically,  work  hard,  and  select  your  place  well.  It  is 
better  to  be  very  poor  for  a  few  years  on  your  own  land,  than 
to  be  moderately  poor  as  a  tenant  for  others.  In  selecting  a 
home,  look  ahead.  Care  more  for  ultimate  than  for  immediate 
success.  Wherever  there  is  a  large  district  of  fertile  soil  with 
a  good  climate,  you  can  confidently  settle  down.  It  must  fill 
up,  and  the  land  must  rise  in  value.  The  fewer  the  people, 
the  better  opportunity  you  have  to  select  the  most  desirable 
spots,  and  when  more  rapid  immigration  comes  in,  the  greater 
will  be  the  relative  increase  of  population.  The  agriculturist 
from  Europe  or  the  Atlantic  States  must  learn  anew  many  things 
in  his  line  in  California. 

11.  It  would  be  the  better  thing  for  the  intending  pur- 
chaser of  land,  upon  his  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  to  call  at 
once  on 

B.  B.  REDDING, 
Land  Agent  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company, 

Corner  of  Fourth  and  Townsend  Streets, 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 


[     39     ] 


FURTHER    INFORMATION. 

The  following  are  books  and  pamphlets  giving  further  in- 
formation about  California,  with  the  names  of  the  author  and 
publisher,  the  place  and  date  of  publication,  and  the  number 
of  pages: 

The  Resources  of  California,  bv  John  S.  Hittell.  Seventh 
edition.  San  Francisco,  1879,  p.  450.  A.  L.  Bancroft  &  Co., 
San  Francisco,  Cal.,  price,  including  postage,  $1.50. 

The  Resources  of  California,  San  Francisco.  A  monthly 
paper.  Terms,  $2  per  annum.  John  P.  H.  Wentworth,  pub- 
lisher and  proprietor.  Will  be  sent  to  any  address  on  receipt 
of  amount  of  subscription. 

"  California  As  It  Is!"  by  special  correspondents  of  the 
"  Weekly  Call,"  San  Francisco,  being  correct  and  impartial 
descriptions  of  all  the  counties  in  California  by  leading  editors, 
practical  farmers  and  others,  in  each  county — 1880:  San  Fran- 
cisco Call  Company,  p.  175. 

(  alifornia  for  Travelers  and  Settlers,  by  C.  Nordhoff.  New 
York,  1872:  Harper  &  Brothers,  p.  250. 

Stockton  and  San  Joaquin  Basin,  by  N.  M.  Orr.  Stockton, 
1874:  Stockton  Board  of  Trade,  p.  55. 

nta   Clara   Valley.     San  Jose,  1875:  San  Jose  Board  of 
Trade,  p.  32. 

Los  Angeles  City  and  County,  by  A.  T.  Hawley.  Los  An- 
geles, 1876:  Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Commerce,  p.  44. 

Angeles  County.     Los  Angeles,  1876:  Herald  Publish- 
ing Company,  p.  60. 

Anaheim  and  Vicinity,  by  W.  R.  Olden:  Anaheim,  1874, 
p.  50. 


[    4<>    ] 


Handbook  of  Monterey.  Monterey,  1875:  Walton  &  Cur- 
tis, p.  130. 

Guide  to  San  Jose.     San  Jose,  1875:  G.  H.  Hare,  p.  85. 

Kern  County,  by  Julius  Chester.     Bakersfield,  1876. 

San  Diego,  1874  :  San  Diego  Board  of  Trade. 

The  pamphlets  of  the  Boards  of  Trade  of  Stockton,  San 
Jose,  San  Diego,  and  Los  Angeles,  were  issued  for  gratuitous 
distribution,  and  if  the  editions  are  not  exhausted,  can  be  ob- 
tained without  charge  on  application  to  the  publishers,  or  to 
the  Boards  of  Trade  of  those  cities. 

Address  of  Land  Agent. — Applications  for  the  purchase  of 
land  belonging  to  the  Company  should  be  made  to 

B.  B.  BEDDING, 

Land  Agent  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company \ 

Corner  of  Fourth  and  Townsend  Streets, 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 


Note. — After  you  have  read  this  pamphlet,  if  you  do  not 
want  to  preserve  it  for  future  reference,  give  it  or  send  it  to 
some  friend;  the  postage  on  it  is  only  3  cents  to  any  part  of 
the  United  States  or  Europe. 


